FOI release

Fraudulent claims for business rates in the last 10 years

This request was refused in part, so we didn't provide some of the information the requester asked for. This may include information where we can neither confirm nor deny that we hold it.

Case reference FOI2024/00997

Received 5 June 2024

Published 25 June 2024

Request

1. Could you please confirm the number of instances in the last 10 years where a fraudulent claim for a business rates refund has been made?

2. Could you please confirm the number of instances where a refund has been paid to an incorrect entity due to a fraudulent claim?

3. Could you please confirm the total value (£) over the last 10 years where a Ratepayer has had to be compensated due to a fraudulent claim for a business rates refund?

4. The total value of credits held on business rates accounts within the billing authority as of today's date.

Response

1. Could you please confirm the number of instances in the last 10 years where a fraudulent claim for a business rates refund has been made?

2. Could you please confirm the number of instances where a refund has been paid to an incorrect entity due to a fraudulent claim?

A) The information for questions 1 and 2 is publically available on the Herefordshire Council website and can be viewed via the following link:

(Public Pack)Agenda Document for Audit and Governance Committee, 30/01/2023 10:15 (herefordshire.gov.uk) (p.82-84)

As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.

3. Could you please confirm the total value (£) over the last 10 years where a Ratepayer has had to be compensated due to a fraudulent claim for a business rates refund?

A) £0.00

4. The total value of credits held on business rates accounts within the billing authority as of today's date.

A) The total value of credits held as of today is £2,203,708.52.

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.